Leaving The Coliseum
by Junior BLD
Summary: "I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light." "You'll find it. I'm searching, too." The Coliseum scene from Cloud's point of view.
Cloud slowly opened his eyes and found that he was leaning against the outer wall of the Coliseum. The sun was shining brilliantly in the sky, but his mind was still lost in the dark. For a moment, he wondered how he had gotten here, but then he remembered what happened inside the coliseum, and stared down at the ground in despair.

He couldn't believe he had been manipulated by the deceptive ruler of the underworld, and he was no closer to finding Sephiroth than before he had agreed to enter the Olympic Games and defeat Hercules.

Since Sephiroth was the embodiment of Cloud's inner darkness, it was Cloud's mission to defeat him and find his light. But at what point had he thought it was a good idea to fight darkness with darkness? Evil forces could be persuasive at times, but how could Cloud have been so misled?

Even more unsettling was the fact that he could still feel the dark energy that had been infused within him when he had made the deal with Hades. He hoped it would have vanished by now. Most of the power had gone after he battled the kid with the keyblade, but the evil feelings lingered, even after he had been knocked unconscious. What if the darkness never went away? What if-

'"Hey, are you all right?" a somewhat familiar voice asked, snapping Cloud out of his thoughts as suddenly as if a light had been flipped on.

Cloud looked up and saw the keyblade wielder and his two friends, a somewhat concerned look on their faces. Were they actually worried about him? After what he had done in the arena?

"Yeah." Cloud answered quietly.

He and Sora stared at each other for a moment. Then Sora spoke. "So… why'd you go along with him, anyway?" he asked curiously.

Cloud shifted uncomfortably, deciding whether to answer the question or not. Finally, he responded. "I'm looking for someone… Hades promised to help." –A promise which he hadn't kept- "I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired."

Cloud stood up, and Sora listened intently as he continued. "I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light." He recounted, his voice full of remorse. He stared up at the bright sun for a quick moment. Tifa had always said that light was easy to find, like the sun, so, why wasn't his?

"You'll find it." Sora said consolingly, looking straight into Cloud's eyes. "I'm searching too."

For a moment Cloud wondered what Sora could be searching for. He thought of their battle in the arena. Cloud had used the dark power to try to overwhelm him, but when Sora used the keyblade, Cloud could feel the evil power dissipating little by little. It was as if his heart had slowly been unlocked, almost free from the dark power that threatened to consume him. Almost. Then, Cloud understood. Sora could find the good in others, but he hadn't yet discovered it within himself.

"…For your light?" Cloud asked. He didn't know why, maybe it was because he felt something special about this kid, or because he wanted to make up for what he had done in the Coliseum, but he decided to help the keyblade master out, and offered the little advice he could. "Don't lose sight of it." He said, and proceeded towards the stone gate of the Coliseum.

As he walked past, Cloud placed something in Sora's hand, a small trinket he had found while wandering the Coliseum. He himself didn't have any use for it, but he thought-or rather felt-Sora might need it. But now it was time for Cloud to continue his search.

He had only taken a few steps, however, when Sora called after him. "Hey! How about a rematch sometime? Fair and square! No dark powers involved!"

Cloud smiled slightly at the kid's friendly offer. It seemed like an interesting challenge. If he entered the next Olympic Games, then maybe, but now wasn't the time.

"I think I'll pass." Cloud answered confidently, and continued on his way to meet a more pressing challenge; the quest to defeat Sephiroth, conquer his inner darkness and discover his lost light at last.


End file.
